Machine for casting thin metal cups



Nov. 2o, 1923@ D. PEPPER :Iii MRE 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Aug.

MACHINE FOR CASITING TH-IN METAL CUPS D. PEPPER Nov. 20 1923.

MACHINE F'OR CAS'II'NG THIN METAL CUPS Filed Aug. l5 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. .20, 1923.

UNITED DAVID PEPPER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.v

MACHINE FOR CASTING THIN METAL CUPS.

Application led August 15, 1921. Serial No. 492,359.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DAVID PEPPER, citizen of the United States oi' America, and

resident of the city and county of Philadel-- phia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Casting Thin Metal Cups, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference beingl had to the accompanying drawings, which it'ormY a part thereof. l

My invention relates to mechanism for casting thin metal cups of the general type of the machine shown and described in my Patent No. 1,387,864 dated August 16, 1921. The object of my present invention is to provide certain improvements in such mechanism and particularly I. have in view a construction ot the reservoir by means of which metal will be delivered into the molds in a small stream and the molds partially filled before they come into full registry with the reservoir. This device is for the purpose of avoiding the entrainment of air in the molds and for this purpose I also preferably provide for the escape of air from the mold before it comes into registry with the reservoir.

Another object which I have in view is the avoidance of a vacuum 'formed between the plunger and the closed end of the cup during the withdrawal of the plunger from the cup and a third object which I have in view is the utilization of compressed air delivered through the plunger into the closed end ot the cup as a means for forcing the cup out of the casting mechanism.

i The nature ot my improvements for accomplishing the above mentioned purposes will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings in which they are illustrated and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a machine provided with my improvements taken as on the section line 1-*1 of Fig. 2.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism shown on a smaller scale.

f Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken as on the line 3 8 of Fig. 1, and also shown on a smaller scale.

Figure 4L is a ydevelopment showing the operation of the machine in the casting rand stripping of the cups, and V Figure 5 is a diagrammatic sectional view showing a modilication of the stripping device.

A indicates the machine standard here shown as of cylindrical form. A is a cylindrical supportfor the turntable; A2 a clamping ring for holding the table in po` sition; As a top plate Vfitting on the standard A, as shown. B is the turntable, the outer edge of which is provided with teeth as indicated at B, said teeth being engaged by the driving gear C on the driving shaft C. D is an annular Vring secured to the table B and extending upward ltherefrom in which are formed evenly spaced cylinders as indicated at D. E, E, etc., are the mold cylinders which lit in the cylindrical openings D and rigidly held in place therein as by means-of )ins F3. The molds lproper are indicated at and below the molds the cylinders are formed with openings E4 of less diameter than the molds and in which tit the plungers. As shown, the lower ends ot the openings E4 are closed by heads E2 through which extend. the actuating rods H to be hereafter described. F, F, etc., indicate the plunoers working in the cylindrical bearings t and the upper ends of whichl have the form of the inside of the cup to be molded. These plungers are formed with longitudinal passages indicated at F3 ending in a valve seat at the top of the plunger as indicated at F2. F3 is a stop head secured to the lower end of the plunger and through which extends the actuating rod H. G,'G, etc., are cylindrical bodies fitting and sliding in the longitudinal opening F ot the plungers and carrying at their upper ends valves G adapted to seat themselves on the valve seats F2. Slots or other openings, as indicated at (i2, are

'formed through the iportions G .to permit eo v the iree passage ol air and this air passage l is continued through the stop F9 so that air can pass freely through the longitudinal opening in the plunger at all times when the valve Gr is not seated. H, H, etc., are actuating rods secured to the longitudinal slides G' extendingfrom the sto-p head F3 land the head E2 and through the lower portion of the cylinder D and further through openings B2 in the turntable, the lower ends of the rods being formed with cam contacting surfaces as vindicated at H2 and H3 and pistons H movable in the cylinders D being attached to the intermediate portions of the rods H. I( and K are ports leading into the cylinder D as indicated and connecting at proper parts in the travel of the llO turntable with `conduits IQ and K3 which are in con'nnimicatlon with .a source o'l.

pressure not shown andby which a fluid under pressure can beintroduced when de-V sired, either below orvabove the pistons II so as to move themnpward or downward. L, L, etc., are ports'leading into the longitudinal passages F11' and, as shown, connecting with a conduit L', where such connecV tion is desired, whereby a source or an' unin Fig. l, and is formed with an opening I, I2, through which it is in Ytree communication with the molds lying below it. I3 is a small passage formed in the bottom of the reservoir on the side to which the molds move and through which thin stream of melted'metal can llow into the mold, as shown in Fig. 4, before. the moldY comes into registry with the opening II2. As shown in 4, the opening I3 ends in the shoulder I and a further small opening` I'l is formed beyond this shoulder tor the escape ot air from a mold. I is a conduit tor fluid metal by which it flows trom a source not shown, into the reservoir I and fl is an escape pip'e 'for fluid metal by which the level ot the metal in the reservoir is determined. As shown, I Vhave indicated a heating coil at S, surroundingthe reservoir by means of which the temperature of the metal therein can be held at the necessary high point.

. At O and O I have indicated heating .coils for' heating and maintaining the mold-3 at a proper high temperature during a portion of their rotary travel and 'at P and F I have indicated conduits which during cer-- tain parts of the travel of the molds may be used to cool. them. N and N are glitters Afor catching an* tfluid metal which ma escape over the sides of the ring D; N2 indicating' arms for supporting the inner gutter.

M, Fig. 2,V indicates a knife or scraper secured to the standard and operating to wipe or cut off any metal which atv this point may extend above the top ot the mold.

At Q I have indicated the cast cup.

At R I" have indicated a cam'which at certain parts of' the travel 0i' the molds comes in contactlwith the cam contacting surface H2 of the rods H to move them upl` Vward and at F I have indicated the cam which at certain other points in the travel ofthe molds contacts with the contacting surfaces H3 ot the rods H and draws them downward.

In themodiication of Fig. 5 I have shown a port E5 leading into the bore Fitot the mold cylinder E a short distance below the 1 ,avesse mold proper 'EQ Air y'under pressure Y is admitted tothe port FF' yfrom any convenientV reservoir (none shown). The plunger v`F in this construction is solid and has a longer travel than in the previously ldescribed structureV softhat at` desired times it is drawn down below port soy that compressed air is admitted -to `the cup to torce itfoutpofV the mold as indicated at the left otFig.Y .5. 1 and 7" are cams controlling the mov ments ot `the plungersin certain positions ot theinolds;

In operation emptymolds with the 'plum y Y gers retractedv throughY the bottoms of; the" molds and the valves G open, as shown, at the right hand side or" Fig. Il, approach the reservoir I but before Ycoming into registry with the "reservoir or its opening a I3 the cam R comes into operation, lifting the rod I-I so as to close the port- F? inthe head of the plunger.' With the-port in this position the mold then comes into registry with the passage IV3 and a small stream of metal flows through V.this lpassage intov the mold as indicated-in Fig. 4.-, eitherpartly or wholly .jlilling it while the air containedV in the mold is tree to escape throughthe opening It. Further movement ofthe mold brings it into full registry with the bottom opening IIE, in the reservoir, and, at this time, fluid under pressure, preferably air, is admitted through a portgK into the bottom of the cylinder D 'y and acting i against the piston II, raises it and the plunshown, I .first retract the plungers :trom the' inside ot the cups and then utilize the torce ol compressed a to I'm'cethe cups out of the molds. ,Preliminary to the retraction ot the plunger the cam lt". as shown in F 1g. et, first pulls down the rod I-I, drawing the valve Gr away tromitsseat F2, permit- `l .ting the tree How of air, whether under pressure or not, into the space between the top of the plunger and the bottom fot .the

cup so that when the plungeri's further drawn ydown by the action, preferably, ot

the cam R', as shown in Fig. 4, there is noL vacuum formed lin the bottom 'of theA cup. The plunger having Vbeen fully withdrawn,

as shown at the left hand sidejof Fig. 4.,'

compressed air passing freely through the port F2 forces 'the cup up out'of the mold as indicated.

In such a modification as is shown in Fig.

5.` The plunger F is moved from the position shown at the right of Fig. to its uppermost position preferably by similar actuating mechanism to that above Vdescribed and, afterthe cast cup has solidified, itis drawn down out of the cup Vby the cam 7" which also draws it down below port E to admit compressed air to'blow the cup out of the mold.

Having nov described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In a. machine for casting thin metal oups comprising Va series of molds, means for progressively moving themolds through a iiXed path, plungers working in the molds and a reservoir for melted metal resting on top of the molds and having a bottom open-v ing which registers with the molds as they pass beneath it, the construction of the reservoir with a small channel formed in its bottom and located so as to register with the molds in advance of the main bottom open-v ing of the mold.

2. In a machine for casting thin metal cups comprising moving molds and plungers working therein, the combination therewith of means for ejecting the cups from the molds consistingof ports whereby compressed air is admitted to the inside of the cups and means for opening and closing said ports at definite points in the path travelled by the molds.

3. In a machine for casting thin metal cups, comprising molds and plungers working therein, means for ejecting the cups, comprising an air channel formed through the plunger, means for admitting compressed air to said channels, a valve for opening and closing the air channel at the face of the plunger and means for operating said valve.

ll. In a machine for casting thin metal cups, comprising molds and plungers working therein, said plungers having passages :formed tlnough them opening through the top of the plungers and having valve seats at the tops of said passages, in combination with means for introducing air to the plunger passages, valves movable in the plunger passages from positions where they c'on tact with the valve seatsto retracted posi tions where they contact Withy stops in the plungers and means for moving the plungers through the valves working therein.

' V5. In a machine for casting thin metal cups, comprising molds and plungers work'y ingtherein, said plungers having passages formed through them opening through the top of the plungers andhaving valve Vseats at 4the tops of said passages, in combination with means for introducing air under pressure to the plunger passages, valves movable in the plunger passages from positions where they contact with the valve seats to retops of the plungers and having valve seats at the tops of said passages, in combination with means for introducing air under pressure to the plunger passages, valves movable in the plunger passages from positions where they contact with the valve seats to retractedV positions where they contact with stops in the plungers, cams arranged to move the valves to and from their seats and cylinders and pistons for moving the valves and thro-ugh them the plungers rapidly into the molds.

7. In a machine Jfor casting thin metal cups comprising molds and plungers working therein, said plungers having passages formed through them opening through the tops of the plungers and having valve seats at 4the tops of said passages, in combination with means for introducing air under pressure` to the plunger passages, valves movable in the plunger passages from positions Where they contact with the valve seats to retracted positions where they contact with stops in the plungers, cams arranged to move Athe valves to and from their seats and to retract the plungers from the molds and cylinders and pistons for moving the valves and through them the plungers rapidly into the molds.

DAVID PEPPER. 

